Pessary



April 16, 19216.

G. A. CLARK 'PEssARY Filed My 3, 1945 Figa.

G.A.Clark i Patented Apr. 16, 1946 um'rsoV s'rAJTi-:s PAI-sur 2,398,518

"PESSARY' i George A.. Clark, llwmndl,llielxrf.,V Application May-s,1945senal Ne. er-,issie` (o1. raaf-131) Y l 5- Claims.

The present invention relates to pessaries and' has for an object toprovide a flexible device suchthat it conforms readily to theA contourof the canal' and cavity of a user upon insertion, fthev4 parts of whichare housed in rubberwhereby no metallic portions can come in contact`with theflesh.

Another object of the invention is to provide.l

A still further object is, to provide an improved" structure withrespect to my prior Letters Patent of the United States, numbered1,896,071,1issued" Februaryf'l, 1933, for Pessaries.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will beunderstoodfrom the follow-1 ing detailed description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanyingl drawing, in which:`

Figure 1 is a side'view of the new device applied in a position of' useto a uterus, the latter-being being represented by dottedA lines.

Figure 2- is a longitudinal sectional Viewy of theI pessary shown inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectionexpander employed.

Figure 5 is a transverse section of7 the covermember of the invention.It is well known that the neck of the uterus is of' a canal made up ofboth circular and longitudinal' fibresof muscle and does not-bend. Thebody is more fiaccid and will flex and bend inY all directions. It isalso well yknown that the huma-n uterus isv often of abnormalshape andsize ,andV that the canal, in the middle of the neck of' the uterus;

is larger than the outer or cervical portion and? the inner, where theneck-V joins the bodyI off the organ, and that there is a comparativelysharp bend in the uterus which causes trouble in thepractice ofgynecology and obstetrics and-"the`r present invention aims` to providea pessary; theparts of which are so constructed that it is pliableenough to, follow theA cavity of the organ without causing pressure and`resultant symptoms of cramps, bleeding and nervousness.

ticular. descriptiom the, pessarvy of theA present invention. :includesanel'ongated shank portion HJ.

A head` Il is provided ofr concavo-convex contour; in crossy section,asshown, inliigure5, The shank In is,birurcatedjproviding two oppositelydisposed' armsor wings, l2' and I3.

Between, the ends rai-the shankl0, a, pluralityof detentsl Il areprovided which, are prjzner-alcljrV inthe form o f annular shoulders.thelattel' each beine approximately semcircul'ar in. cross sec,- tion.as shown. in Figure 2-. The shoulders [4. are` preferablyformedintegralgwth the shank l0.

The pessary. generally. indicated at i5, is provided; with af canalAexpander I6. which is also, formed of rubber, being of hollow.cimstruction and oftruncated concal contour in side elevation,as.showninFlgl1re-1.

The member |-6,.has.a.wider open end. ilwhch. is, of4 `much largerdiameter than the diameterof: the shank In and narrower closed:elan l8rthelatter `beine provided: with an. aperture UL. asshown-in-Figure-, v l

Thewail of; the aperture,- l 8,- is axially disposedwithVrespect-r,tothe-longitudinal, length ofA the member- M- anctsaidaperture-is oil slightly lesser diameter-menthe diameter' of theshanklll.--

The wall' of, the. ape-,rturervl is corrugated.- in cross.v section,and.- 'of a complemental shape with respect to the longitudinal crosssectional con.-

' tour orti-laty portion of. .the-shank which-includes the shoulders-I4, wherebyV a selected one, of said shoulders may belodged lnthe-annular amical/'ed` receptacle portion-20er the expander I5v forcans,-A i-ng` ,the expander and sha-nl;v to be locked tegethif duringuse and for purposes later explained.A

A11-lf partant the device.. with the exception of its metallic;vpantsaae formed of- ,chemically `pure rubber' on like' material, andwithinthe shank I0, acha-in ,2li` is,emilieelderl-` A button 22,- issimilarly disposed in the hea-div H; Asbestshown in. Figur-el 5., thebutton 2-2- isrprov-ided with-an ini tiallyopen; G-shapedf conneeterV 23for; engageF ment with` an .endr of' the chainZIij as laterdescribed;connectoris` dispsed adja-V cent to the bottom of ,the well-'24 oftheheadf Il;

Referring now to the drawing for a more par- The wall 25 of the wellextends bet'forid` the perimetrioaledgezof the headi Ii,

A steelV spring Zl'off V-shape in plan yis providr ed andthe legsthereofare axially embedded i151 the arms f2; I3, asshown. in Figi-:rela Pref..erably the freeV ends,` of theA member-127." are: eachprovided With-1 aflared off globlllashan@ respectivelyfindifcatedat,wand 3l j Adjacentthe juncture of the legs of the member 21, the latter is secured to anend link of the chain 2 I by means of a keeper 3 I In use, the member I6is selectively disposed with respect to the shank I0 by the physiciansuitable to individual requirements and the device inserted as shown inFigure 1 so that the cup or head II is disposed across the mouth of thewomb and it will be understood that upon insertion, the legs I2 and I3are caused to spread apart to their normal position by the arms 'ofthespring 21 and across the cavity of the Womb'for holding the device andparticularly the member IB in a selected position.

.een

" V-shaped spring disposed in the arms of said Among other advantages ofthe invention, it isA believed pertinent to mention that the inner surface 32 of the head I I being of concaved contour,

thereby snugly conforms to the'adjacent tissues and the member I6 holdsthatl portion, selected,

ybifurcated portion; a chain embedded in said shank; a cover ofconcavo-convex contour in cross section having an approximately axiallygdisposed wellthe wall of said Well extending of the wall of theadjacent passage way expanded.

movement of the member I6'toward. the mouth .3

of the uterus, in order to prevent a movement in a reverse direction,the following outlined procedure is practiced:

That end of the shank with respect to the wings I2 and I 3 is cut offtoprovidethe end 33 of the shank I0 of adequate, proportiona1 length andso that a' portion of a link of the chainl 2| projectsoutwardly of saidend 33. The next adjacent link is then severed and discarded. Y l

lThe said projecting portion of, the said end link is then hooked totheconnector 23 and the opening of the latter is'closed to lock the head II to 'the shank IIJ, whereby ,the wall 2,5 of the well 24 extends anappreciable distance beyond the end 33 -of the shank I II fonpre'ventingcontact of metal with tissue, as shown in Figure 1, and the head andshank are', in operative eiect, the

same as if made initially'integral or joined,'while at the same time,fitting; adjusting and main# taining the whole' devicetofsuit therequirements of an individual user," as prescribed and processed by the"physician, for therapeutical purposes. 1

' It will be seen'that the-construction is such that since the openingITIf-of-the-member II6 is larger in diameter than'the shank Ill that theflexible shank, adj'acent'fits end 33;"is permitted to move from side toduring use. I A l 1 As thus described, it'will'also be 'seen that whenthe new device is applied'to pathological 'conditions, includingcongestion and'mal-positi'ons 'of the uterus, the new device tends'toreturn vit to its normal state of health, also promoting laterconception insterile females' and that, during use, the new'devicestimulates' the nerves and muscles` massaging the endometrium withoutapplying pressure to anyL'olf-'the parts of the uterus 'side of the"opening I 'I freely during all conditions of use.=

claim-'- j' "jf j g 1. A pessary comprising an enlongated shank portion;a. -cover' portionof approximatelyconcavo-convex contour`` in c rosssection at one end ofsaid shank, the`other end .ofsaid shank beingbifurcated, said parts being "formed oflexible material; pafiexible'chain; 'aV normally V-shapedl spring; a button;A'said-'spring'and buttonv being Illt which is opposite from thelconvexed surface of said cover; a button embedded in the cover at theclosed end of said well, said button being provided with a hook havingVan initially open side; one end of said chain beingsecured to saidspring, an end portion of a selected link at the other end of said chainbeing adapted to be engaged with said hook through said open side andthe latter closed for maintaining the adjacent end of said shank in saidWell and securing the shank and cover together; a plurality of spacedapart detents disposed on said shank between its ends; and a truncatedhollow cone axially disposed on said shank, the truncated end of saidcone being disposed toward the bifurcated end of the shank; said cover,shank, and cone being formed of iiexible material impervious tomoisture, whereby the cone may be disposed and maintained, during use,selectively with respect to the length of said shank and an end portionof the latter cut off for shortening the length of said shank suitableto the requirements of an individual user.

4. In a pessary, an elongated shank; a chain embedded in said shank, aportion of an end link of said chain being disposed outwardly of saidend of said shank; a cover of concavo-convex contour in cross section,said cover being provided with an approximately axially disposed well,the annular wall of said well extending from the convexed surface ofsaid cover; and a hook attached to said cover at the bottom of saidwell, said hook being adapted to engage said end link and being soconstructed that said hook may be locked to said end link for securingthe said end of said shank within said well, said cover and shank beingformed of rubber.

5. In a pessary, a shank having a bifurcated end, a plurality of annularspaced apart shoulders transversely disposed on said shank; a V- shapedspring; a chain; an end link of said chain being secured to said springadjacent the junction of the arms of the latter, said spring beingembedded in the bifurcations of said shank, said chain being embeddedinsaid shank; an expander member of truncated conical contour in sideelevation, said member being hollow adjacent the ared end thereof` theother end of said member being provided with an axially disposedbore,thewall of said bore being corrugated in cross section complementalto the contour in cross section of anyone of said shoulders forreceiving a selected one of said shoulders therein. said member andvsaidshank being formed of rubber. l

lGEORGE A.- CLARK.

